Switch-control circuits



Sept. 9; 1924.

J. J. WYNNE swnrcn CONTROL ozncuzrs APE-ll...

Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. WYNNE, F RO'SELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 013 NEW] YORK. N. Y., A. GQBIPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SWITCH-CONTROL CIRCUITS.

Application filed April 8, 1922. Serial No. 550,581.

To all 207mm it may cmwem:

Be it known that LJAMns J. l/VYNNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roselle Park, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Control Circuits, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention has to do with electrical switching devices and control circuits therefor, and relates more particularly to an arrangement whereby circuit connections extending between a circuit controller and de vices under control thereof may be transferred to a second circuit controller without any harmful interference with the operation of the aforementioned devices.

In automatic telephone systems of the type shown, for example, in United States Pattent No. 1,395,977, issued November 1, 1921 to F. A. Stearn and F. J. Scudder, so-called pulse machines are employed, the function of which is to assist in the transfer of the registrations set up by calling subscribers,

through the operation of their calling dials, from the number registers in the subscribers senders to the translator register relays, as clearly described in the aforementioned patent.

These pulse machines constitute an extremely vital part of the automatic telephone installation as each of them serves a very large number of subscribers and is subjected to long periods of continuous service. Should any serious trouble occur'in any of these machines, there would be danger of disrupting the service of all the subscribers lines associated therewith. In order to make adequate provision for possible trouble in 40 this connection, emergency pulse machines are provided and it becomes necessary to provide suitable arrangements for transferring the connections from the translator register relays, from one pulse machine to another,

and in effecting such transfers, to avoid any harmful interference with the operation of the translator register relays such as might result in improper extension of telephone connections.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide suitable arrangements in association with transfer switch whereby the latter is prevented from being operated at such times as would result in disrupting registrations in progress on the translator register relays. A further object of the invention is to provide signaling means for apprising an attendant when the transfer switch may be operated.

In accordance with the objects stated, the principal feature of the invention relates to the provision in association with a locking transfer switch of electromagnetic releasing means therefor under the control of a startlig circuit which is responsive to the movement of a pulse machine or like device whereby the releasing means cannot be energized until the pulse machine has completed a predetermined eXtent of operation following the operation of a starting switch.

It is thought that the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description, having reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing, 7 and 8 each represent, in developed form, the surface of a cylindrical drum of a pulse ma chine, each being independently and continuously rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon. Each drum has a metallic collecting ring 9 which is electrically con nected to the several metallic segments 10, 11, etc, shown thereon. The space between the segments is preferably filled with a suitable insulating material on which the several brushes 12, etc. hear when not in contact with the metallic segments.

A multiple contact switch 13 is provided for transferring the circuit connections from one pulse machine to another and, in the drawing, pulse machine drum 7 is shown so connected. The operating handle 14 is provided with a sector-shaped portion 15 having two notches 16 for engagement by the dog 17, carried by the armature of the electromagnet '18. hen the dog 17 is in engagement with either of the notches 16, the switch is locked and cannot be thrown into its alternate position without first energizing the release magnet 18. A switch of this type which may be employed herein is shown in the application ofH. T. Martin, Serial No. 402,867, filed August 11, 1920.

The six bank terminals 19, 33, etc., and brushes 20, 32, etc, are those of a translator switch which may be of the type shown in United States Patent No. 1,123,696, is-

sued January 5, 1915, to E. B. Craft and J. N. Reynolds. These brushes are arranged in sets, one vbeing shown, and are movable vertically, in unison, to select sets of bank terminals under the control of the subscribers register senders. The provisions for CQ IltQlling the translator switches are not described "herein as such a description is not thought to be essential vto a clear under-' standing of the present invention, but a complete descriptionthereof may be found in Patent No. 1,395,977 to F. A. Stearnand F. J. Scudder, previously mentioned.

' ter being set by the calling'subscribers in ac 13 and-brush 38L Relays 21, 22, 23,- 24, and 26 comprise a partial showing'of a set of translator reg ister relays, a complete description of which mayalso be found in Patent No. 1,395,977.

The primary function of the pulse ma-' chine is to effect the operation of relays 24, 25, 26, etc.,-in various combinationsin accordance with the select-ions of the translator switches which in turn are controlled by the subscribers register senders, the latcordance with the office and numerical designations of called subscriberslines. A complete: set of translator register relays comprises a considerable number'of. relays similar to relays 24, 25 and 26 which may be operated in a large number of'combinations, but,.for the purpose of'the present description, it may be assumed that the particular connection in progress requires the setting of relays 25 and 26 in addition to other relays which are not shown and that the translator brushes 20, etc., have accordingly been set on the bank terminals shown. The contacts 27 28, 29, 30 and 31 are controlled by one or more sequence switches which may be of the type shown and described in United States Patent No. 1,127,808 to Reynolds, et at, issued February 9, 1915, and for the purpose of this descriptionit will be assumed that these contacts are opened and -machineftl 1e foregoing circuit is extended through-collector ring 9,"brush 4 1, wiper 4E2 of 'thetransfer' switch to battery and ground, and relay- 21 is energized, closing its contacts, Since? ther ,aretwo'segments 39 and ""40 only, on that portion ofthe circumference 'of'the pulse machinedrum correspond ing with brush 38frelay willbe energized closed from ground, switch contact 29, contact and armature of twice in the course of each complete revolution of the drum and will release immediately upon the brush 38 disengaging either segment. Similar circuits may be traced for relays 22 and 23 extending to brush e3 with which is associated a portion of the pulse machine drum having only one segment 414. Therefore, relays 22 and 23 will each be energized once only for each revolution of the drum.

l Vhen relay 21 is momentarily energized,

a circuit is extended from ground throughrelay 241, conductor .5, front contact and ar mature of relay 21, conductor 46, wiper d7 of the transfer switch and brush 48 of the pulse machine; Brush 18 does not engage i segment 11 at a-time when relay 21 is energized'as will be evident from the fact that segmentll is not in alignment with either segment 39 or 40, and therefore, no circuit can be completed for operating relay 24 with the assumedsetting of the translator switch. However, upon tracing the corresponding circuits of relay 25' to brush 49, and relay 26 to brush 50, it will be apparent that these circuits are each extended through to battery at a time when relay 21is energized, it being noted that segment 11 corresponds in position with segments 39 and 441 and seg ment 11 corresponds with segment 6E0. Relays 25 and 26 voperate and lock upover circuits extending from ground through their left-hand windings and left-hand armatures and contacts and sequence, switch contact 2'? which is closed at this time to grounded battery.

Immediately after the set of translator switch brushes including brushes 20, 32, etc, were positioned on the bank terminals shown, a sequence switch in the subscribers register sender was moved under the control of circuits, not here shown, to close contacts 28, 29, 30 and 31. With contact 30 closed,

a circuit is extended from ground, through stepping relay 52 to brush 12 of the pulse machine. Six segments 10 are provided on the pulse machine drum for cooperating with brush 12 and when the latter engages any of these segments, a circuit is completed from grounded battery, through wiper 12,

brush 41, collecting ring 9, the engaged segment 10, brush'12, wiper 53, conductor 54,

contact 55 of key 56, conductor 57, relay 52,

conductor 58,back contact and armature of counting relay 0 and to ground through contact '30 of the sequence switch cam. Relay 52 is momentarily energized'in this circuit six times infthe course of one com-,

plete revolution of the drum '7. Upon the first energizatmn of relay 52, a 'circult is through sequence relay 52, upper armature and front contact ctirelay 51, conductor 60, conductor '61 at the No. 6 counting relay, armature and back contact of the counting relay No, 6, through the N o. 6 counting relay to grounded battery. Counting relay No. 6 energizes in this circuit and locks up over a circuit extending through the No. 6' counting relay, its own armature and Contact, and sequence switch Contact 31 to ground. Counting rela'yiNo. 6, however, does not energize in this circuit due to the fact that it is shunted by the gronnd through contact of stepping relay 52. i

As soon as brush 12 nioyes 01f the first segment 10, relay 52 is momentarily deeiiergized and opens its contact thereby removing the ground from conductor 61 whereupon counting relay No. 6' isenergized in series with counting relay No. 6

and attracts its armature thereby extendin the previously traced interrupter circuit to the No. 5 counting relay which in turn is energized 1n the same manner as counting relay No. 6 as soon as relay 52 is again operated. The foregoing operation repeats itself until the counting relays have been satisfied, whereupon counting relay 0' is energized thereby breaking the back contact of its outer armature which is in the circuit of stepping relay 52 and closing the front contact of its inner armature thereby cont pleting a circuit from grounded battery, throu h relay 62, upper inner armature and front contact of relay 51 and'conductor 63 to ground, through the front contact and inner armature of counting relay 0'. The

stepping relay 52 ceases to operate and relay 62' operates to open the circuit of relay 51 and locks up over a eir'cnit including sequence-switch contact 28. Relay 51 deenergizes thereby opening the cireuits of relays 21,- 22 and 23. Inorder to satisfy the counting relays, seven energizationsof relay 52 are requiredand since there are only six segments 10 evenly distributed around drum 7, it is evident that approximately one and onesixth turns'of the drum are required for a complete operation. This provision is made to ensure that not less than a complete turn of the drum will be made between the time the translator register relays areconnecte'd thereto and the time when they are disconnected therefrom. After the translator switch is restored to normal, sequence switch contact 31 is opened and the counting relays restored,

During the hours of heavy traflio in a. busy automatic telephone oflice, the calls come in Very rapidly so that at any given moment there maybe a considerable number of sets of translator register relays being operated by singie'pulse machine in the manner previously described. It is de sirable to avoid disrupting the operation of setting these relays when it becomes necessary to operate the transfer switch 13. as otherwise the telephone connections eonceriied weald not he established. as intended. The transfer sWitCli, therefore, is arran ed to be lkd iii each of operative 1565itions previeusly stated and cannot be unlocked except through operation of the circuit hereinafter described whereby herninil interference with the setting or the manner register relays is obviated.

\Vhen a Ii'lfiiiiflim attendant at the Cell m l efiiee wis es to operate the transfer switch 13, he first operates key 56 which opens contact in the circuit of stepping relay 52, closes Contact 64 providing round for the special set of timing counting relays shown enclosed in the dot and dash rectangle and closes contact 65 in the circuit of relay 66, The circuit for relay 66 may now be traced from ground, relay 66, Con tact 65, condnctor 67, wiper 68, and brush 69 5 the palsemachinei Cooperating with the latter brushes are two segments 70 and 71 which are disposed on diammetrioally opposite sides of the drum. Therefore, when brush 69'Inakes contact with either of the segments 70 and 71, a circuit is com pleted from rounded battery, through the pulse machine to elay 66 and the latter iS' energized. One complete rotation of thedrum 7 accordingly canses relay 66 to be em er'giz'ed twice. Upon the first operation of relay 66 a circuit is completed from ground ed battery through conductor 72, counting relay B, armature and be ck contact of counting relay B, to gronnd through the arma ture and contact of relay 66. Counting relay B energizes in this circuit and establishes a locking circuit for itself extending as follows: groundedbattery, conductor 72, counting relay B, counting relay B, contact and armature of counting relay B, con ductor to ground through Contact 64 of key 56. Counting rela B does not immediately energize in this circuit as it is shunted by the ground from the armature and contact of relay 66, but as soon as relay 66 deenerg'izes, counting relay B energizes in series with counting relay B. When brush 69 encounters the next segment 70 or 71, the circuit from ground at relay 66 is extended through i which may have been started when key 56 was operated, but due to the fact that segments 70 and 71 have an appreciable circumferential dimension, it quite possible qa rasasiieatlri e ri ,thaalaieoarlete r 1.

p s i 77 1S PIOVldBdffOIK use" in speclal' emergencles .as, for; nstance, in the event to complete the setting of the special counting relays up to this point without the drum 7v having quite made a complete revolution following the operation of key 56.

So, for that reason it is provided that the drum 7 shall make substantially one and one-half revolutions following the operation of key' 56 thereby ensuring that.-

translator registerrelay settings in progress shall be completed, When brush 69 again engages segment 7 O and 71, relay 66 is energizedas before and the circuit from, ground through, the armature. and contactv of relay 6,6 is extended. through'the arma tures' and front contactsiof counting relays A and B which were previously operated, and normal contact and, winding of relay 74C to grounded battery. Relay '74: energizes in this circuit and closes 1a circuit fromgrounded battery through H release. magnet 18, key- 77,, and signal lamp 75 in parallel,

conductor 76, contact and left-hand armature of relay 7 4. to ground. Lamp 7 5 lights and the release magnet 18 energizes in thisv circuit withdrawing'dogrll from the-notch 16 with which it wasiengagedf The'lighting of lamp s75indicates to the maintenance attendant that, the transfer switch is unlocked and may be thrown to its alternate position thereby disengaging the-drum 7 and connecting in drum 8. Following'the operation of the transfer switch-key. 56 is released and the timing counting relays and magnet 18 are released, the magnet 18 locking ;the transferswitch in its alternate Key that the transfer switchshould fail to unlockfollowing the: operation of key 56.

, Such an emergency might arise due to the driving motor'of the pulse machine breaking down and from other,causes. It will be readily seen from the drawing that an operation of key 77 closes a circuit directly through release magnet 18 to ground I through contact 64 of keyy56, thereby unlocking the transfer switch 13. transfer switch has beenoperated through the use of the emergency key 77, key 56 is kept in its operated position until lamp lights, thus allowing time for a complete cycle of operationof the. newly, connected pulse machine before-steppingrelay 52 1s a permitted to start counting ofi".

In the eveni of anew selection being established at oneofthe translator switches during the interval 'between the' operation of key 56 and its restoration following the operationof .the transfer switch, no damage can be done because relay 62 cannot be energized until the counting relays under the control'of stepping relay 52 have been satisfiedand'aspreviously pointed out, it re After a mqaaaa j tation of a pulse machine drum with con tact 55 closed to satisfy the counting relays. Thus, it will be seen that the translator register relays associated with-the last mentioned selections will have access to the newly connected pulse machine for the full period of time required, and it will also be seen that all of the sets of translator register relaysz which were in the course cuit for vsaid- -electromag z;net including ab source of current and a normally open contact, a normally open starting clrcuit, and

a set of counting relays for controlling said 1 normally open contact, sald countmg relays being under 'thecontrol of said starting circuit and operable to interpose a delay in the closure of said normally open contact following the, closure of said start ing circuit." X

2. In combination, a switch having a phiralityofoperative positions, means for lock ingv saidswitch in at least one of said po sitions, releasing means for said switch, a

starting'key for said releasing means, means for JIIIGIPOSlIlg apredetermined delay in the operation ofsaid releaslng means following an" operation of said key, and a' sig IlitlgfOI indicating when said releasing means lsoperated;

3.-The combination with an electroresponsive device,'of a circuit interrupter for c'on-" trolling the operation of said electroresponsive dev1ce',- a circuit including axsource of 1 current interconnecting said electroresponsive device and said interrupter, a transfer switch in saidcircuit, a second circuit-in terrupter, said transfer switch being adapted i-for'tra'nsferring the control from said first interrupter to said second interrupter, means for locking, said transfer switch in itsoperative positions, and means for preventing theunlocking of saidtransfer switch during the course of operation of said electroresponsive device.

4. In combination, a plurality'of circuit v interrupters, circuit connections therefona switch for transferring said circuit conned trons to any of said interrupters ind1v1dual- 1 ly, means for locking said switchin any of its operative positions, electromagneticre leasing means for said locking means, a

circuitandsource of current for said re-' leasing meansja' starting switch for saiid J mes s sa d r eas -a last mentioned circuit and means for after the operation of said starting switch until the connected one of said interrupters shall have completed a predetermined extent of operation. a

5. In combination, a plurality of electrical devices, circuit connections therefor, a switch for transferring said circuit connections to any of said devices individually, a lock for holding said switch in any of its operative positions, electromagnetic releasing means for said look, a circuit including a normally open contact for said releasing means, a starting circuit for closing said normally open contact, and means responsive to the movement of the connected one of said electrical devices for delaying the closure of said normally open contact until said device shall have completed a. predetermined extent of operation following the closure of said starting circuit.

6. In combination, a plurality of circuit interrupters, a group of relays operable in different combinations, circuit connections from said relays, a switch operable to transfer said circuit connections from one to another of said circuit interrupter-s, a lock for holding said switch in each of its operative positions, electromagnetic releasing means for said look, a circuit including a normally open contact for said releasing means, a starting circuit for closing said normally open contact, and a group of counting relays associated with said starting circuit responsive to the movement of the connected one of said circuit interrupters for delaying the closure of said normally open contact until said circuit interrupters shall have completed a predetermined extent of operation following a closure of said starting circuit.

7. In combination, a plurality of circuit interrupters, an electroresponsive device operable by either of said interrupters, circuit connections extending from said elec troresponsive device, a switch for extending said circuit connections to either of said circuit interrupters individually, a lock operable to hold said switch in either of its operative positions, electromagnetic releasing means for said look, a circuit for said releasing means including a normally open contact, a circuit including a series of counting relays for closing said normally open contact, and a normally open starting circuit for controlling said counting relays in accordance with the movement of the connected one of said circuit interrupters whereby said circuit interrupter shall have completed a predetermined extent of opera tion following a closure of said starting circuit before said releasing means is ener gized.

8. A manually operated switch having a plurality of operative positions, a locking member to hold said switch in any of its operated positions, an electromagnet, at-iming device, a starting circuit for said timing device, a key, means to complete the starting circuit for said timing device under the control of said key, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled at the contacts of said timing device, and means to actuate said locking member to release said switch under the control of said magnet.

9. A plurality of electro-responsive devices, a timing device individual to each electro-responsive device, a common device operable to control said electro-responsive devices, means for connecting one or more of said electro-responsive devices to said control device, means under the control of said timing device for disconnecting said electro-responsive device from said control device, a common timing device, and means for arrest-ing the operation of said individual timing device and substituting said common timing device to delay the disconnection of said electro-responsive device from said control device for a predetermined period.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of April, A. D. 1922.

JAMES J. WYNNE. 

